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Student
Living: Housing
Every effort is made to find housing for entering full-time MPA
students in Columbia University–owned buildings in the Morningside
Heights and Washington Heights neighborhoods around SIPA, but housing
is not guaranteed. Applications must be received in a timely manner
to be considered.
All incoming students are urged to apply as early as possible for
housing via the online application process found at the housing
Web site (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ire/preform.html).
Successful SIPA applicants will receive necessary passwords in their
acceptance letters. Individuals whose applications are received
after the deadline will automatically be placed on the housing waitlist,
as will continuing students not yet in Columbia housing, who must
file the same application.
Columbia University Apartment Housing
University Apartment Housing (UAH) consists of apartments and dormitory-style
suites located within walking distance of the campus. Housing is
available to single students, couples, and students with dependent
children. Due to space limitations, UAH cannot offer housing to
accommodate friends or relatives other than dependent children and
spouses/partners or provide additional space to satisfy unusual
work or activity needs. Nearly 90 percent of the University housing
stock is comprised of apartment shares, as described below. Very
few single students obtain one bedroom or studio apartments. The
University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion,
sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. Students with
special dietary restrictions may call Dining Services (212-854-2768)
regarding the availability of special meal plans.
Family members and friends are strictly prohibited from sharing
these accommodations with student tenants. Pets are strictly prohibited
in UAH, except for Seeing-Eye dogs and pets kept in aquaria. Violation
of these policies will bring termination of the lease or student-housing
contract, and the student will forfeit eligibility for University
housing.
All residents are encouraged to obtain
renter’s insurance to protect against loss of personal property
resulting from theft, water, or fire damage. Renter’s insurance
is available from many insurance companies for reasonable premiums,
typically under $200 per year. Most policies also provide some personal
liability coverage.
Types of Accommodations
University Apartment Housing provides Columbia University graduate
students registered as full-time degree candidates at the Morning-side
campus with subsidized housing near the University. There are five
basic categories of accommodations available to students; several
are available with or without furnishings. The majority of student
housing is comprised of apartment shares.
All furnished units typically include a single bed (double for couples’
housing); a desk, chair, dresser, and lamp in each bedroom; and
a couch, chairs, and coffee table in the living room, as well as
dining table with chairs in the kitchen or living room. A stove
and refrigerator are provided in all units; laundry rooms are available
to all student tenants. UAH does not provide linens, cooking utensils,
dishes, cutlery, air conditioners, dishwashers, or area rugs. Students
are responsible for providing rugs that cover 80 percent of the
floor area, to comply with the terms of the lease. General descriptions
and rate information are presented below. Please visit the UAH Web
site (http://www.columbia.edu/ cu/ire) to obtain more information.
1. Apartment Share
(monthly cost: $535–$850)
The majority of students are housed in apartment shares. These are
apartments that contain from two to four bedrooms. Each student
has a private bedroom and shares the common areas of the apartment
(kitchen, living room, and bathroom) with the other students in
the apartment. Tenants are responsible for cleaning their own rooms
and the common areas. Approximately 80 percent of the three- and
four-bedroom apartments are furnished, with utilities (cooking gas
and electricity, not telephone) included. Two-bedroom apartments
are typically unfurnished with utilities included. Apartment shares
are used to house single students only, and most are not coed.
2. Dormitory-Style Accommodations, Suite Rooms
(monthly cost: $490–$640)
These are either single private (one student per room) or shared
(two students per room) accommodations off a corridor. Students
share the kitchen, bathroom, and any common areas. All rooms are
furnished, and all utilities (sometimes also telephone service)
are included. Dormitory-style accommodations (suites) are used to
house single students only, and most are coed.
3. Efficiency Apartments
(monthly cost: $795–$1,250)
Typically, these are one-room apartments with a private bathroom.
Kitchen appliances are along one wall of the room or in a separate
kitchen area. Very few of these units are furnished, and charges
for utilities are generally not included in the rent. Single students
or couples may live in efficiencies; couples may be given priority.
Efficiency apartments are very limited in number, and demand exceeds
availability. Students applying as couples are required to provide
appropriate documentation.
4. One-Bedroom Apartments
(monthly cost: $825–$1,375)
These units have a living room, kitchen facilities, a separate bedroom,
and a bathroom. They vary in size, and most are unfurnished. Utilities
are generally not included in the rent. Couples and students with
children are given priority in assignment of one-bedroom apartments.
The available supply does not permit us to satisfy the requests
of single students for one-bedroom apartments. Documentation of
couples or family status is required.
5. Family-Style Apartments
(monthly cost: $995–$1,425)
Only students with dependent children may live in one of these larger,
family-style apartments. These units have a kitchen, bathroom, living
room, and more than one bedroom. All are unfurnished, and utilities
are not included. Documentation of family composition (such as birth
certificates, proof that dependent children reside with you, marriage
certificates, or documentation of domestic partnership, etc.) is
required.
6. International House (I-House)
UAH has made a special arrangement to lease one hundred single rooms
in International House, a private residence located at Riverside
Drive and 122nd Street, which has a cross-cultural environment of
particular interest to those concerned with international exchange.
I-House is home to about seven hundred graduate students and interns
from nearly one hundred countries (including one-third from the
United States) who are pursuing studies at over fifty different
institutions.
To apply for rooms in I-House, students must be twenty-one years
of age or older, and they must fully complete both the UAH and I-House
applications. The I-House application cannot be submitted online
and must be mailed directly to the UAH Office. Note: Students are
also strongly encouraged to apply directly to International House
by contacting the office at 212-316-8400 or visiting the Web site
at http://www.ihouse-nyc.org.
I-House may directly accept students who have not received UAH approval.
7. West 108th Street
UAH has approximately 150 units (apartment shares and one-bedroom
units for couples) available in four buildings in the West 108th
Street area. Although UAH does not own or operate these buildings,
the units are leased solely by UAH and only to Columbia students.
Therefore, these units require the same application and approval
process as all other UAH units. All units are unfurnished and billed
by term.
New York City Apartment-Hunting Tips
Columbia cannot house all accepted applicants in University Apartment
Housing, and some SIPA students prefer to live outside the Columbia
area. Therefore, here are suggestions on alternative housing resources:
Act Fast:
Just as you are looking for an apartment in New York City, there
are probably at least 278 other people who are looking for
a similar apartment. Be ready to provide references and a security
deposit. Spread the word among friends that you are apartment hunting.
They might know of a vacancy.
Contact the Off-Campus Housing Office:
The Off-Campus Registry, located at 400 West 119th Street (212-854-9300),
assists students seeking rooms or apartments
not owned or operated by the University. Listings are available
via the UAH Web site: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ire/ocha.
Proof of SIPA admission must be shown to enter the office. Please
go to the Student Affairs Office for student verification.
Use Online Resources:
The UAH Web site link to the Off-Campus Registry (http://www.columbia.edu
/cu/ire/ocha) has further links to numerous other online resources
including The Village Voice, one of the best publications available
for apartment hunting. Each week The Voice has a variety of apartment
listings, including sublets, which may be good options for short-term
rentals (less than twelve months). The Voice is published on Wednesdays;
if you want to beat the crowd, you may access its listings Tuesday
afternoon on the Internet at
http://www.villagevoice.com/classifieds. Check listings in The
New York Times, which has daily apartment listings and an extensive
“Residential Real Estate” classified ads section on
Sundays. The Sunday edition can be bought at newsstands on Saturday
evening, or found at http://www.nytimes.com/realestate.
Watch for posters in the Columbia neighborhood. Keep your eye out
for signs on bus stop shelters, lampposts, and local bulletin boards.
People with apartments to rent and space for roommates often advertise
in these places.
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